Kitchen cleaning has a daily layer and a deep layer. Most people do the daily layer and skip the deep layer until something forces the issue. This covers both.
01Range hood filters
Grease-saturated range hood filters restrict airflow and become a fire hazard. Remove them monthly and soak in hot water with dish soap or run through the dishwasher on a high-heat cycle. Rinse and dry before reinstalling. A filter that comes out of the dishwasher still feeling greasy gets another round. A filter that's past cleaning — warped, the mesh collapsed — gets replaced.
02Oven interior
A self-cleaning cycle works but produces significant smoke and heat for several hours. The manual alternative: coat the oven interior with a paste of baking soda and water, leave overnight, and wipe out the next day. Spray with white vinegar to react with the remaining baking soda and wipe clean. For heavy carbonized deposits, a dedicated oven cleaner applied in a cold oven is faster.
03Refrigerator coils
Condenser coils behind or beneath the refrigerator accumulate dust that reduces cooling efficiency and increases operating cost. Pull the refrigerator out or remove the base grille. Use a coil brush and a vacuum with a brush attachment to clean the coils and fan area. Do this annually. A refrigerator working on clean coils uses measurably less electricity.
04Sink and garbage disposal
A kitchen sink drain and disposal accumulates residue that produces odor. Pour baking soda followed by white vinegar down the drain monthly, let it react for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. For the disposal specifically: freeze white vinegar in an ice cube tray and run the cubes through the disposal — the ice sharpens the impellers and the vinegar sanitizes. Never pour grease down the drain.
Marcus Webb is a general contractor and home maintenance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He writes about the repairs and installs that come up every year in every house — the practical, repeating work that keeps a home livable.